


climbing up the walls

by screechfox



Series: vampire de rolos [1]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Mind Control, Vampires, this is mostly compliant with how d&d vampires work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-26 15:59:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13861134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/screechfox/pseuds/screechfox
Summary: “At the very least, I think you should come visit us sometime, Percy. You’re always welcome back home. Be nice of you to visit your family once in a while.”Delilah and Sylas win the battle beneath Whitestone, and decide on a novel way to make use of their newest prize and his clever mind.





	1. part 1

**Author's Note:**

> me, arriving in a fandom years late, as usual
> 
> i originally wrote this while fairly sleep-deprived back in january, so apologies in advance for any oddnesses. it's only two parts of an unfinished thing, but i think they stand alone fairly well, and i was never going to finish the full thing - this _is_ me we're talking about.
> 
> i'm impressed that, in the amount of fic i write about vampires, i literally always write vampires differently, it's ridiculous.
> 
> draft title: "vampire de rolos: bad ending"

Percy’s out of bullets.

It’s all he can think of as he lies on the ground, bruised and broken.

If he had even _one_ more bullet, it could mean a chance to change the tide.

Instead, he’s powerless to do anything. Most of his friends lie unconscious around him, and Sylas and Delilah look as though they’re completely unscathed. They’re pristine, even, with not a single hair out of place.

Every part of Percy hurts. The smoke only billows out of him in fits and spurts, and no goading, growling voice could persuade him to move right now.

Sylas and Delilah are discussing something in hushed tones. Their eyes drift to him every so often, and each time, he musters up the darkest glare he can as he drifts in and out of consciousness.

His sister is nowhere to be seen.

Eventually, Sylas and Delilah finish their conversation, and Sylas begins to make his way towards Percy.

There’s nothing he can do as Sylas scoops him up, holding him in place. He pushes against Sylas’ chest, but Sylas only chuckles.

“You know, we were just planning to kill you,” he says, purring into Percy’s ear. “You’ve certainly made yourself a nuisance around here.”

Percy has no choice but to listen, to try and brace himself for whatever they have planned for him.

“But, you’re a smart boy, anyone can see that. Why should we let that go to waste? Especially now that Doctor Ripley has so ungraciously left our employ.”

Sylas leans away from Percy to look him in the eyes, as Percy goes cold with realisation.

A wave of calm crashes against his mind. Sylas stares, unblinking, and for a moment, Percy feels like he could fall into the abyss of those dark, dark eyes.

With a start, he pushes back against the feeling, glaring at Sylas as hard as he can.

Sylas just tuts, not breaking his gaze.

“Don’t fight it, Percival. I am going to do what I do no matter what, but you’ll find it much less painful if you just let it happen.”

For a moment, Percy considers it. For a moment, it seems like the best option in a selection of increasingly bad ones. Then he remembers the vicious, angry feelings that brought him here in the first place.

“Fuck you,” he says, through gritted teeth.

“So be it,” Sylas replies, with no remorse, and he drives his fangs into Percy’s neck.

Percy cries out, his voice strained and wheezing, as cold pain seems to explode through his body. It hits him in shockwaves. There is nothing but Sylas gulping at his blood like a dying man, and the pale stone ceiling drifting in and out of focus.

Before everything finally goes black, Percy swears he hears his sister crying out.

 

Percy wakes up to voices, sharp and clear.

“I’m rather fond of this one,” Delilah’s voice says, sounding warm and indulgent. There’s a muffled sound from next to her - someone gagged, perhaps. It’s not as chilling as Percy thinks it should be.

“Agreed,” says the deep voice of Sylas, and something new in Percy’s brain sits up and takes notice. “Perhaps we should keep him for ourselves, and those two can share _her_.”

There’s that muffled noise again. As Percy’s senses sharpen further, he revises his guess. _Two_ someones gagged.

“Or perhaps we can keep them both for ourselves.” Delilah is laughing softly. “They _are_ a matched set, after all, and with such pretty dark hair.”

Percy opens his eyes, and sits up in one fluid motion, examining the scene before him.

Delilah, smiling to her husband as she sits in a comfortable chair. Vax, bound and gagged, swearing at her through his gag as she runs her fingers through his hair. Vex, in much the same predicament, eyes wide as she stares at Percy. Then, in another comfortable chair, Sylas.

Something warm spreads through Percy as his gaze lands on Sylas. He feels tensions unwind that he didn’t even know he had, and that new and instinctual part of Percy’s mind murmurs in satisfaction.

That’s not right at all.

His calm breaks suddenly, replaced with a sharp tension. All of his instincts tell him that he’s safe, but given that he’s _fairly sure_ he’s a vampire now, he’s not planning on trusting them.

“Oh, good,” Sylas says with a smile. “You’re awake. We didn’t know which of you would wake up first.” He gestures at to the left of Percy, and Percy finds himself looking as he does.

Cassandra is lying in a bed much like Percy’s. She is pale, and isn’t obviously breathing. Percy’s new instincts tell him that Cassandra is a safe person too, which is at least less objectionable than being calmed by the presence of _Sylas Briarwood._

Hearing someone stand up, Percy snaps his gaze back to Sylas.

Before Sylas can take a single step forward, Percy is there, pushing him back into his chair and baring his teeth at him. Percy wants to rip him apart until there’s nothing left, but instead, he snarls.

“What have you done to my head?” There’s a growling undertone to his voice, and, out of the corner of his eye, he sees Vex flinch away from him. Oh well, he can feel bad about that later.

Sylas only smiles wider, the kind of smile you give a child when you’re humouring them.

“Oh, settle down, settle down.” With a surprisingly gentle push, he eases Percy away from him, and stands up again. They’re nearly eye-to-eye, but Percy still gets the distinct feeling of looking _up_.

The physical contact doesn’t help the sense of calm trying to break into Percy’s thoughts. He bares his fangs wider and tries to ignore it.

“It’s a perfectly natural part of the change,” Sylas continues. “If you’d done any reading on vampires, you would know this.”

Delilah tuts, and when Percy glances over, her eyes are sparkling with amusement. He wants to tear her apart even more than he does Sylas, and that’s probably only _slightly_ because she has a beating heart in her chest.

It’s exhilarating how fast he is, in a terrifying sort of way. Percy finds himself in front of Delilah. He grabs one of her wrists and squeezes until he hears the crack of bone. Her warm expression shatters into one of outrage and… fear. Hm.

“Settle down, I said!” Sylas’ voice cuts through everything, freezing Percy in his tracks. “There will be no violence in this room!”

Reluctantly, Percy lets go of Delilah and steps back. He doesn’t _want_ to, but… he does. Deep in his chest, part of him _does_ want to. Because Sylas told him to do it.

Delilah massages her wrist gingerly, but then smiles across at Sylas.

“Nothing that a healing potion won’t fix,” she says, tone calm. “And I suppose we should have expected a few teething problems along the way.”

Percy steps back a few more steps, so he can see them both at once. The downside of this is that it also gives him a perfect view of Vex and Vax and their wide-eyed gazes. He guesses he looks equally wide-eyed as he stares back at them.

“Oh, yes,” Delilah says, as though she’s only just been reminded of something. “We brought you a gift, Percival.”

“Your choice of gift,” Sylas continues, “since you woke up first. A sign of goodwill, given all the bad blood there’s been between us.”

“After all,” Delilah finishes, smiling viciously. “I’m sure you must be very hungry.”

He _is_ hungry, Percy realises. There’s an ache in his stomach, a need for sustenance that seems to grow with every second now he’s noticed it. His anger fades abruptly as something like desperation tries to claw its way up his throat.

“Where are the others?” His voice shakes, all of a sudden, and he can’t place why. Sylas smiles triumphantly.

“Two now, two after you’ve drank your fill.”

It’s not a compromise Percy likes, but he nods desperately. Sylas’ smile widens further, showing the white of his teeth.

“The gnome man and the goliath are both locked up. We _were_ going to kill them, but it seemed a waste of good blood.”

Percy just nods, before he can stop himself. Sylas’ reasoning makes sense to the predatory part of Percy’s brain, and it’s bleeding into his humanity with every pang of hunger that he feels.

He takes one step forward, then looks at Sylas questioningly.

“Pick a twin,” he says. “Drink your fill of them.” His tone is even, calm, and brooks no argument.

Percy stares at the twins. Both of their expression are a mixture of horror and anger; they strain against their restraints. His mental debate on which one to bite largely boils down to which twin he’d rather kill him, sooner or later.

He steps towards Vex.

“I really am sorry,” he murmurs, perhaps unconvincingly, as he approaches her.

He doesn’t hesitate as he brushes her hair from her neck, and he doesn’t hesitate as he leans down and sinks his fangs into her flesh.

Vex makes a sound like a wounded animal, but it’s far beyond Percy’s abilities to care as he gulps down mouthful after mouthful of blood. With the warmth of it spreading through him, he can almost trick himself into thinking he’s alive.

There’s no way to tell how long he spends crouched there, lost to the world around him. Everything seems so _simple_ as he swallows and swallows and swallows. A single moment stretches on for an eternity, and it doesn’t feel like it could ever end.

It does, of course.

“Percival.” Sylas’ voice cuts through the trance like a knife through butter. “That’s enough.”

Percy lifts his head to bare his bloodied fangs at Sylas, but there’s no bite to the expression, so to speak. He can still hear Vex’s pulse, quickfire and erratic, and his relief mingles with irritation.

Sylas only laughs, wearing an indulgent smile that shows no fangs.

“Don’t be like that, Percival. You can have a full meal later. We just thought your first feed should be something special.”

_Or_ , Percy thinks, as lucidity returns to him in fits and bursts, _you wanted to get some sadistic pleasure out of having me nearly kill one of my closest friends._ In this state, caught between guilt and satisfaction, he can’t decide which answer is more likely.

He draws away, back into the middle of the room.

Vax is glowering at him with what can only be described as a murderous glare. Percy had expected that, and more besides, but he still can’t meet Vax’s eyes for longer than a few seconds before tearing his gaze away.

Vex looks… terrible. But she’s breathing and her heart is beating, so that’s something, at least.

“Nothing that a healing potion won’t fix,” Delilah echoes, looking far more smug than before. She's still holding her wrist delicately, though, so Percy feels a spark of smugness himself.

“The other half-elf is locked up too,” Sylas says abruptly, examining his fingernails. “We plan to send her back to civilisation, after we remove her memory. A second failed Aramenté might just make the Ashari a little twitchy.”

Percy blinks in confusion at the non-sequitur, and then he realises. The relief he feels at the news is tempered with guilt - guilt that he forgot about Keyleth and Pike thanks to his own stupid hunger.

“As for your cleric, she disappeared. I don't know where she went, nor do I particularly care.”

That’s good news, too, but Percy has a bad feeling about it. If Pike disappeared, she could be on her way here right now, and he doesn’t want to see her come in and get hurt - especially since he could easily be the one to hurt her.

After the silence has stretched on for a few moments, Percy sighs and nods.

Sylas raises a brow at him, obviously trying to prompt something else. Percy has to think for a moment, and then--

“Thank you,” he says, voice quiet.

Sylas’ expression turns to one of pride. Percy tries to ignore the warm feeling that pools in his stomach at the sight.

“Well then,” Sylas says, “I believe all our business is concluded for now.”

He offers his arm to Delilah, who smiles widely, and perhaps even genuinely, as she stands up.

“Yes, I believe so. Percival, I think we can leave the care of these two to your capable hands?” With her free hand, she gestures to Vex and Vax, her smile not shifting by a centimeter.

Percy takes great pride in the fact that the snarling predatory part of his brain feels no obligation to bow to Delilah, too. He averts his gaze, taking great care to not acknowledge her as he sits down on his bed.

He has a perfect view of Cassandra from this position - pale, still, looking for all the world like a beautiful corpse. It’s worrying, even if he knows that she’ll wake up sooner or later.

Someone tuts at him - likely Delilah - and he hears a murmured comment about manners that he does his best to ignore.

There’s footsteps, slow and careful, and then Sylas appears in his vision, a frown on his face.

“Percival.”

Well, it had been a little too optimistic to think that he could get away with that show of resistance. Percy stares back at Sylas, not blinking, not breaking his gaze.

“Take care of them while we’re gone. If your sister wakes up before we return, guide her in what she must do.” Sylas’ words are laced with implications, but Percy feels their power as clearly as if they’d been said aloud.

When Percy inclines his head ever so slightly in acknowledgement, Sylas leans in and continues in a low whisper.

“No one leaves this room after we do. Do not let your sister drink more than her fill.”

Apparently satisfied, Sylas retreats. He and Delilah link arms, smile at each other, and manage to look disgustingly in love for two people without any moral compasses to speak of.

“If you need any entertainment,” Delilah says, as they stroll towards the door in unison, “there are books in the drawers, and a few trinkets from Anna’s workshop.”

With that, the door shuts behind them. Percy hears the click of a lock for good measure, and listens to their steps until he can no longer hear them at all.


	2. part 2

There’s a moment’s peace.

Then Percy stands up.

He stalks towards the bound forms of the twins, feeling determined to do _something_ to show that he’s still on their side. They both shift as he approaches, eyes alert and wary. Vex has regained a little colour, Percy notes with relief.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he mutters darkly, moving behind them. Their accusing gazes make him feel like there’s insects crawling all over his skin.

It’s easy enough to find the knot of a gag. Quicker than he ever could before, he unties one gag, and then another, letting the fabric fall to the floor. That’s that.

He goes and sits back on the soft surface of the bed, looking away from Vex and Vax because it feels like he’ll break with shame if he has to meet their gazes again. He feels mostly lucid right now, and… it doesn’t feel good.

“What the fuck, Percival?” It’s Vax’s voice cutting across the silence, sharp and accusing.

“Yes,” Percy says, resisting the urge to bury his head in his hands, “I’d rather been wondering that myself.”

“You spend two minutes as a vampire, and suddenly you’re kissing the Briarwoods’ arses?”

“It’s… more complicated than that.” It comes out dry, and slightly biting, and Percy feels so tired. Everything seems to be going from bad to worse, and the worst part is how _right_ the change seems to feel.

Steeling himself, he looks back over at the twins. Vax is raising his brows, silently demanding an explanation. Percy sighs, though the exhalation feels stiff and unnatural, and runs a hand through his hair.

“We _really_ should have done our research on vampires before we came here,” he says, resigned.

“Cut to the chase, darling.” In the weary tones of Vex’s voice, ‘darling’ sounds more like a curse than any expression of fondness. Percy swallows, trying to forget the taste of her blood in his mouth.

“Well,” he starts, trying to think of the best way to phrase the situation.

There’s a gasp from the other bed. All thoughts of explaining himself are chased from Percy’s mind. _Cassandra._

He pushes himself up, across to her bed. Her eyes are flickering open - the grey of them has turned crystalline as she stares up at him. Something uncurls in him, relaxed and languid, and he can see his calm echoed in her face.

“Percy?”

He feels a smile spreading across his face, and it’s all him, this time.

They’re hugging, suddenly. It’s ridiculous: De Rolos don’t _hug,_ it’s unheard of. But he inhales her scent, wrapping the safety of it around him like a shroud.

Carefully, he helps her up into a sitting position. He keeps a hold of one of her hands, as he looks her over. By the way her gaze moves up and down, she’s doing exactly the same thing.

“You’ve--” She frowns, and he can see the realisation in her face. “You’ve got something. Right there.” She taps a finger to his chin, and it comes away red.

He blinks at it, then rubs his thumb across his skin. As expected, there’s a smear of blood. He wipes the rest of it off with the palm of his hand, and can’t quite resist licking the mess off his skin. It’ll only go to waste otherwise.

Cassandra watches with a horrified sort of fascination.

“Isn’t that sweet? I’m glad you’re getting your sibling bonding on, de Rolo, I’m sure there’s not anything more important for you to be doing.”

It’s Vax, glowering over at him. He makes a point, but certainly not the one he was intending to make - his words only remind Percy of what Sylas said to him. Cassandra is awake now, after all.

Swallowing, Percy stands up as he looks between Cassandra and Vax. Resignation sits heavily in his chest.

Oh well. Best get it over and done with.

“Cassandra.” He tries to let his reluctance bleed into his voice. “You’re… hungry, aren’t you?”

Vax widens his eyes and Cassandra narrows hers. As she tilts her head at him, her expression turns contemplative.

“I suppose I am,” she says, with only the very faintest tremor to her voice.

“Percy, you’d better not be suggesting what I think you’re suggesting.” Vax’s expression is all anger, but Percy can hear how hard his pulse is beating.

“I’m afraid so, Vax.” He hopes he looks as apologetic as he feels, but Vax only looks angrier and angrier. This is evidently not a battle that Percy is going to win.

Cassandra’s gaze has sharpened, and she’s staring at Vax with hunger in her eyes.

Slowly, she stalks towards him. Percy can’t bring himself to move, even as Vax struggles in his restraints and Vex weakly lifts her head to glare across at Percy.

Whatever guilt Percy felt before drinking, Cassandra shows none of it. Her movements are filled with a ruthless pragmatism, and it reminds him of how much he doesn’t know his sister anymore.

She steps behind Vax, brushes his hair off his neck, and then sinks her teeth in.

Percy should be disgusted by the sight in front of him. He should be tearing his sister away from the neck of his friend. He should be coming up with some sort of plan to get out of this mess and keep everyone safe.

But he finds that all he does is watch, a faint layer of serenity falling across his thoughts like fresh snow.

“Get her _off_ my brother, Percival.” Vex’s voice is tired but purposeful, and in that one moment, Percy finds it so _funny_ that she thinks she matters at all. His amusement must show on his face, because her expression sharpens into a glare.

He turns his attention back to Vax, who is growing paler and paler as Cassandra drinks. Sylas’ instruction echoes in his ears. Well, Percy supposes he can indulge Vex, just this once.

“Cassandra,” he says. “You heard her.”

Cassandra lifts her head and growls at him. He bares his teeth right back, unthreatened.

“Why should I?” Her chin is held high, and her sparkling eyes are bright with defiance.

Percy considers, for a moment. There are all sorts of reasons he could give, half-truths and nice words, but in the end, it’s the simplest answer that’s the best.

“Because Sylas said so too.”

As he says the words, the reality of the situation slots back into place, and all at once, he feels sick. As he leans back against the bedframe, he watches the conflict play across her face. It’s the same conflict he knows so well already, and he knows that there’s only one way it ends.

Cassandra’s lip curls, and she stands up, smoothing down her clothes.

“Well, if _Sylas_ said so.” Her tone practically drips with resentment of the situation. With an expression of carefully applied stoicism, she moves to sit on her bed, and begins to stare across at the wall.

Percy can sympathise - he’d rather like to spend some time staring at a wall too.

A tension sits in the air for a few moments, thick and heavy. Percy doesn’t want to break it, so he stays statue still, which is surprisingly easy to do with no breath and no pulse. When he glances at Cassandra, she seems to be doing much the same thing.

“Mind control,” says Vex, abruptly horrified. “You’re being mind-controlled.”

Slowly, Percy turns his head to look at her. He’d laugh, wry and bitter, but all of the humour seems to have been squeezed out of the situation like a washcloth. So he just raises one brow, a silent question.

“You backed down when Sylas told you to, but you didn’t obey Delilah. And, just then… ‘Sylas said so’, that’s what you said, and it stopped Cassandra in her tracks too.”

Percy glances at Cassandra, but his sister suddenly only has eyes for Vex and her explanation.

“Yes, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head there.” His tone is resigned as he looks back at Vex and her determined expression. For the first time since he woke up, her wide eyes aren’t afraid of him. It’s a welcome reprieve.

“You have to _fight it_ , both of you, please. We can fix this, somehow, but we need to know you’re on our side.”

“With all due respect, Vex, ‘we’ consists of you and your brother, and both of you are tied up and nearly unconscious.”

Vax lifts his head, gesturing rudely, and Percy snorts. For a moment, it feels like old times, and it’s almost enough to break the dour mood settling over him. Almost.

“You can do something about one of those things, can’t you?” Vex wriggles in her restraints, one dark eyebrow raised.

Percy looks at her, taking a moment to think about it - to think about what he was told to do, and not to do. He runs his hands over his face.

“You know, I’m not sure I _can._ ”

“Oh, darling, snap out of it. Fight it off, _please._ ”

“If I could, I would, I promise you that, Vex. It’s just… rather impossible.”

“You know,” it’s Cassandra’s voice, all of a sudden. “Percy can’t do anything for you, but _I_ can.”

Percy blinks, straightening up. He smiles at her, then tilts his head.

“I thought you were pro-Briarwoods now?” There’s no accusation in his tone, just curiosity, but Cassandra still shivers.

“I made that choice,” she says, conceding his point, “but now the choice has been taken away. After five years locked in this castle, I value my agency quite highly.”

She stands up, raising her head high, and Percy feels pride bloom in his chest.

Cassandra keeps one eye on Percy as she moves towards the twins, as though he’s going to suddenly leap in front of her and stop her. He doesn’t plan to, though - he just settles in his place on the bed, and watches her.

Slowly, every move purposeful, she unties the twins. First Vex, then Vax.

“Good loophole,” Vax says weakly, though when he looks at Percy, all there is is mistrust. Well, Percy supposes that’s well-justified.

Neither of them seem to have the strength to get up yet, but they both begin looking around the room carefully.

“Delilah said there were some of Ripley’s things in the drawer,” Vex murmurs. “I’m sure there’s something in there we could use as a lockpick.”

Percy stills completely.

 _No one leaves this room after we do_ , he remembers.

Apparently oblivious to his internal crisis, Cassandra walks past him and rummages around in the drawers by the beds. She pulls out a few nondescript-looking books, dumping them on the floor behind her, and then she makes a sound of triumph.

She stands up, holding a few unfinished creations. Percy could probably take a guess at what they were if he had more time, but Cassandra begins pulling them apart with inhuman strength.

The wreckage falls to the floor, and she holds up some thin pieces of metal that could perhaps be used to pick a lock.

Vax grins weakly at her, holding out a hand. She steps over and gives them to him, then helps him up from the chair.

“I guess we’re back in business,” he says, tone wry.

_No one leaves this room._

With Cassandra’s help, Vax staggers towards the door.

Percy finds himself standing up. He doesn’t know what he’s going to do if they manage to unlock the door - it’s a gaping abyss of uncertainty looming in front of him.

Vex’s eyes stay on him, gaze wary.

One makeshift lockpick breaks, then another. He feels a guilty sort of relief that he won’t have to fight with himself about stopping them, but then Vax laughs in triumph.

“Still got it!”

Damn. Damn it all to hell.

He feels himself blur - it’s the only way to describe it - and suddenly he’s standing in front of the door. Everyone is staring at him, surprise showing on each of their faces - Vax, startled by his sudden proximity; Vex, narrowing her eyes even further; and Cassandra, looking betrayed.

“I’m sorry,” he says, trying to keep his tone even. “But I can’t let you leave.”

“Like hell you can’t,” Vax says, raising his chin in determination. “Get out of the way, Percival.”

“I _can’t_ let you leave,” Percy repeats, trying to make his point clear.

There’s a moment of silence. He can hear Vax grit his teeth, looking stunningly purposeful for someone who doesn’t contain nearly enough blood right now. Then, without warning, he reaches out and punches Percy in the face.

It’s a weak punch, as they go, but it still makes something fierce and feral rise up in Percy’s brain, crying for retaliation.

“I don’t want to fight you, Vax,” he says, standing perfectly still.

“I don’t want to fight you either, but you leave me no choice.”

At this point, Percy considers his options. He can’t give in - that’s unthinkable, near-literally. He doesn’t want to fight - that’s unthinkable, rather _less_ literally. But all of his instincts are urging him on - there’s a painless way to end this situation, if only he can reach out and take it.

Gritting his teeth, he lets his instincts guide him. As Vax goes for another punch, he meets his eyes, and _reaches_.

No punch comes.

The tension has leaked from Vax’s shoulders.

Percy wants to throw up.

There is silence, for a moment. Then, Vex’s voice.

“Percy, did you just-?”

Percy _really_ wants to throw up.

The anger on Vax’s face has been replaced with a friendly smile that Percy knows well. Percy runs his hands over his face, silently cursing whatever gods are out there.

Vex gets to her feet, slightly unsteadily, and just… stares at Percy. He stares back, lost for words.

 _It would be so easy_ , that part of his mind says. _Just a little effort, and you could have both of them under your spell._

With more effort than he’d like, he tears his eyes from hers.

There’s only grim understanding in his sister’s eyes. Honestly, it makes him feel even worse than he already did.

“He was going to punch me again,” he points out, as a weak defense to whoever cares.

“He’s got a point, I was.” There’s a faintly dreamy quality to Vax’s voice, subtle but _there_ , and his smile only softens as he carries on staring at Percy.

“Oh, shut up,” Vex says, drawing Percy’s gaze again. She’s glaring pointedly between him and Vax, but her pulse is racing. “Neither of you are allowed to talk right now, because Cassandra and I are apparently the only ones with all our faculties in order.”

Well. Percy can certainly concede that point.

“ _Most_ of my faculties,” Cassandra replies, her mouth curving into something that’s almost a smile. “But I can certainly do my best.”

Vex inclines her head, her own expression softening slightly at that.

“So, we clearly aren’t escaping in the short-term, so how about we start planning for the long-term?” She turns to face Cassandra completely, and Percy breathes a sigh of relief that her piercing stare is now ignoring him.

She and Cassandra begin to swap ideas and musings, and Percy has to admit that he tunes out, ever so slightly.

He feels wound up - full of tension that has nowhere to go. There’s a tremor to his hands, even as he stays perfectly still otherwise. He wants to shoot something, to hear the crack of a gun and see its vicious impact.

Vax is still staring at Percy, not paying any obvious attention to his sister’s conversation. It’s as if he’s completely entranced - lost to the violent thing in Percy’s head.

Percy’s fingernails dig into his palms until they draw blood.

As he stands there, trying desperately not to implode, he thinks he hears footsteps in the corridor outside.

“Cassandra,” he starts, trying to catch her eye.

“I thought Vex and I agreed that you weren’t talking right now.” Despite her dismissive tone, she still turns to look at him, brows raised slightly.

He just holds a hand up, gesturing for her to listen. Her eyes narrow.

“Vex,” she murmurs, quiet as a breath, “I need you to look as angry as possible, right now.”

Confusion flits across Vex’s face, but it’s quickly replaced with a fearsome expression he thinks he’s seen her use before. She directs it at him with full force as the footsteps get closer and closer. It’s certainly effective.

There’s quiet conversation, and then the door opens outwards. Sylas and Delilah step in behind Percy, inspecting the situation with smiles.

The door shuts again.

“Well then. I thought this might happen, I will admit.” Delilah says, sounding amused. “I have to say, you’ve dealt with the situation _admirably_ , Percival.”

For the first time, there’s a shift in Vax’s dreamy expression. His eyes move to the Briarwoods and narrow slowly, as though he’s not quite sure what he’s meant to think right now. Honestly, Percy can’t offer any suggestions.

“Yes, you _are_ well-behaved, aren’t you?” It’s Sylas’ voice this time, cool but entertained.

Percy shivers slightly, balling his hands into fists.

There’s a low chuckle behind him, and then the Briarwoods move into his vision. Delilah’s wrist isn’t broken anymore, and she reaches out to lift his chin. When he backs away from that touch, he backs straight into Sylas’ grip.

“Perhaps we’ll keep you after all,” Delilah says, her eyes running over his face.

There’s a moment of silence, tension near-tangible in the air, and then it breaks as Delilah looks away.

“Well,” she says, “we’d best be getting you all to more luxurious accommodation, hm?” She gestures with her hands, and he can see Vex tense up, her eyes darting around in panic. “Cassandra, you can carry her, can’t you?”

Cassandra sets her jaw, then nods slightly, not meeting Delilah’s eyes. She scoops Vex up in both arms - it’s not especially elegant, but it seems to work.

Percy stumbles as Sylas pushes him to follow Delilah. It’s only as a mild afterthought that Percy gestures for Vax to follow him, even if it makes him feel atrociously guilty.

Whatever spell is holding Vex in place, it fades as they reach another door. She kicks and struggles against Cassandra, but to no avail.

Delilah opens this door, revealing a bedroom that must have been one of Percy’s siblings’ at some point. She gestures indoors, and Cassandra practically throws Vex inside.

“Him too,” Delilah says, as Vex spits curses at them. Vax’s dreamy smile wavers again, and Percy deeply wants him to come to his senses again.

“I should--” he starts, before being cut off by Sylas.

“No, leave it.” Sylas waves a dismissive hand. “Charm looks good on him.”

With deep regret, Percy gestures for Vax to go inside too.

Delilah shuts the door and locks it, with no more fanfare. She smiles at Percy and Cassandra.

“Now,” she says, “let’s find you your rooms.”

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you enjoyed! i'm trying to branch out in the fandoms i post in.
> 
> as always, you can find me on tumblr at screechfoxes!


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